Reviews

Eye Opening Breakfast

Nestled in the hollow of Spring Garden Ave. is the home to Reserve Bar and Grill. Like many old neighborhood bars in Pittsburgh it sits right on the roadside tucked between the neighborhood homes.
From the windy bends on Spring Garden, you may just pass this “joint,” but if you look for the hanging pig sign with the neon bar light you have landed at the Reserve Bar and Grill. They are open for breakfast on the weekends from 8 a.m. till 12 noon. Apparently not many people are aware of the outstanding breakfasts served bya friendly staff. Finally a place in the city where you don’t have to wait in line to eat breakfast on a weekend. The Reserve Bar and Grill had 4 specails for us to choose from and we ordered 2 of them. If ordering from the regular menu it is a complete breakfast fare that even included corned beef hash.

Dishes Tried:

Frittata Omelet

This omelet was outstanding. It was served open faced more like a traditional frittata. Nestled among several beaten eggs were all the fresh vegetables of the season. This included spinach, onions carrots, mushrooms and even a few potatoes. Topped with 3 cheeses consisting of parmesan, cheddar and romano then browned and melted to a cheesy perfection. The portion is huge so come with an appetite. If you want toast with this it can be ordered ala carte for an additional $1.00 and was a nice marble bread.

Carrot Raisin Cakes

How can you resist a breakfast which tastes like carrot cake? These 3 large pancakes were made of pureed carrots and carrot shreds and loaded with raisins, seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg; it made me think of fall. Unlike a traditional pancake, they are not as light and fluffy and are fairly dense and creamy. This breakfast was very rich and I was only able to finish 2 of the pancakes but enjoyed every bite.

Sausage

We ordered this as a side to share. 3 large plump llinks of sausage griddle cooked to golden brown bursting with flavor. These were not Bob Evans!

July 30, 2009

Bar Food

Nestled in the hollow of Spring Garden Ave. is the home to Reserve Bar and Grill. Like many old neighborhood bars in Pittsburgh it sits right on the roadside tucked between the neighborhood homes.

From the windy bends on Spring Garden, you may just pass this “joint,” but if you look for the hanging pig sign with the neon bar light you have landed at the Reserve Bar and Grill. Parking is very limited with a small lot or any spot you might find along the road side. It appears they are working on an outdoor patio area which is not completed yet but the inside has been renovated. In this non-smoking establishment you will find a large bar area with big screen TV’s and a good size dining area which is located separately and just below the bar. Paneled in wood with faux tin ceilings and pleather tablecloths the dining area was clean and welcoming, as was the friendly staff. It also boasted several large screen TV’s. Just what you would expect from a old neighborhood establishment. The plastic encased menus contain your typical bar food with numerous choices of anything fried, including Mac and Cheese and green peppers. Yes… fried Mac and Cheese wedges. There are a variety of sandwiches, such as ruebens and pulled pork along with burgers and fish. The drinks are reasonably priced but if you are expecting one of those “stiff” neighbor bar drinks, this is not the case. We had to ask for a double to taste the alcohol. Monday night is wing night and Friday’s are the usual fish night. They are also open for brunch from 8-1 on weekends. It is hard to find a place in the Northside that serves breakfast. I am sure I will try the brunch some weekend when I am in the area.

Dishes Tried:

Garlic Parmesan Wings

Dusted with a tasty Garlic Parmesan type rub the wings arrived hot out of the fryer. Perfectly seasoned and not over powered by garlic they were crisp and tasty. Perhaps a just a few seconds in the fryer to long. Although I prefer a crisp and crunchy skin on my wings over an under cooked fatty skin, these were just a little dry. The wings were average in size and split.

Old Bay Wings

Much like the Garlic Parmesan, the dry dusted coating was made with "Old Bay” I really liked the flavor combination of poultry and the seafood seasoning. Just like the other wings we shared, they were hot and crispy and again on the dry side.

Hot Wings

I was pleasantly surprised with the hot wings. Many times when ordering HOT you get a wing that takes your breath away. This was not the case. They were mildly hot and the wing was not overpowered by some atomic sauce that brings tears to your yes and sweat to your brow. Again, just a bit over cooked making the chicken slightly dry.

Rueben

This sandwich was the "bell of the ball” Tucked between two thick slices of fresh marble bread lay a pile of extremely tender corned beef and nicely seasoned sauerkraut. It was grilled to perfection and maintained a nice crispness to the sandwich. So often a Rueben comes to the plate soggy. This was not the case. It is because they do not put the dressing on the sandwich but serve it on the side for you to assemble. I love this idea! The dressing was the best. Quite possibly the best I have tasted. It was not some runny salad dressing out of a Kraft bottle but instead was thick and rich with chunks of tomatoes. This dressing topped what was a perfectly made Rueben. This I will most certainly order again and again.

Onion Rings

The rings were crispy and not a bit greasy. Although they were breaded and I prefer batter dipped to breading, they were whole rings and not some chopped up processed onions. These were just ok and if I am going to blow my cholesterol level, next time I may want to try the fried mac and cheese!

Great little hidden spot

This little hidden gem could soon turn into your favorite. Know locally as the Pig Bar, (ask when you get there), it is a great neighborhood restaurant and local bar. Seven HD TV's for your viewing pleasure, new menu Dec. 2009, Famous…